Shocker: Shake Shack Ditches Nolita Plans

We’re not going to lie, when the Shake Shack locked down a tiny parcel on Mulberry and Prince back in September, we were excited, but also a little bit perplexed. It’s hard to get anything past Community Board 2, much less the crowds one of New York City’s most popular eateries would bring to a relatively quiet block. Adding to that, Danny Meyer was teaming up with one of the city’s more eccentric landlords, the Gottlieb estate. Back in October, even Danny didn’t know what was up with construction. Sure enough, neighbors protested, and now David Swinghamer, CEO of Shake Shack, has announced via a statement that he’s calling it off.

After much thoughtful consideration, we have elected to forgo plans to build a Shake Shack in Nolita. We were incredibly excited about investing in such an authentic neighborhood with its bustling retail scene and vibrant street life. Unfortunately, we could not solve the problem of building something that both made good business sense and was harmonious with the concerns of immediate neighbors. We are proud of our history of opening restaurants that strengthen their communities, and we’ll continue to seek out unique locations in neighborhoods where a Shake Shack will be cherished and have much to contribute.

A rare misstep for Danny Meyer, and a blow to anyone hoping to eat a Shack Burger south of 23rd Street.